What to do after switching to no cones?

[windblown]

Ok, I used 365 (from Whole Foods) shampoo & conditioner on my hair last night. I have never actually tried to go cone-free before. Now I'm wondering if I should be doing something else after shampoo & conditioner or once my hair is dry to protect the ends since I'm not using cones. Should I do something to add moisture since there's nothing holding the moisture in?

[HairColoredHair]

You could try oils... but give the new product some time to see how it effects your hair first. :D

[~GypsyCurls~]

I'd agree with the above, see how your hair is after just the shampoo & conditioner to assess how much more moisture you need. I use jojoba oil after, but you can experiment with other oils of course.

Also, Whole Foods carries the line Nature's Gate, which have a great Hemp S&C...very moisturizing.

[Curlsgirl]

For me it is very important to use a leave-in moisturizing conditioner since I don't use cones. Then I sometimes apply coconut oil on top while my hair is still damp to help seal in the moisture and protect the ends especially.

[MusingFrog]

I'd wait and see if you need to add anything. My hair responded ok at first when I switched to no cones. After awhile, once I had a routine down, it reacted great. As of now I use Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner (cone free of course). The stuff is very heavy. As such I never feel as though I need to add anything to my hair.

[windblown]

Any suggestions on cone-free leave-in conditioners?

I *do* plan to just wait a while to see how it goes before adding anything to the routine. So far my hair isn't tangly. It feels very soft & fine. My husband says it looks more blond. It looks like it could go the direction of fluffy/frizzy...but I will wait & see.

[chrissy-b]

When I first went cone-free I clarified my hair before I changed products to be sure that there was no residue left over from the cones.

My hair was harder to detangle at first, but I've found that a little leave-in works wonders. My favorite is Giovanni Direct Leave-in, but I've also had fabulous results just adding a little conditioner to my ends or coconut, shea, or jojoba oil.

[MandaMom2Three]

I just clarified tonight (m ends had turned to velcro LOL) and I decided hey, why not use this opportunity to give no cones a shot! I picked up some Giovanni condish (I am in love, deeply deeply in love :D ) and ended up using almost the whole bottle tonight LOL, between a henna gloss/SMT and washing out said Henna. It was amazing!! Softness and shine I used to only get from cones! My hair was so much LIGHTER too. It was so light though it was flying all over the place LOL. So I made a leave in with 1 tsp of Giovanni (I got the soft as silk one) and 2 cups of distilled water in a mister, redamped my hair with it then brushed in a drop each of emu and jojoba oil. I have to pick up some more Giovanni and I'll look for some leave in while I'm at it!

[dearladydisdain]

I found that experimenting with oils and different conditioners was good. Your hair might go through a "detox" period of sorts where it loses its coating and you need to truly moisturize it with good conditioners and oils. (However, you might find that your hair is much nicer and stronger WITH cones - this happened to me. Don't let anyone tell you what is "good" or "bad" - it's all a matter of preference.)

[Curlsgirl]

I like Biolage conditioning balm for a leave-in.

[ChloeDharma]

I like aloe vera gel with a bit of oil as a leave in. The aloe tends to give some hold and the oil helps with shine and smoothness. I'm an oil lover but i do find combining the 2 even better.